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Citation and License

Diagnostic Pathology 2011, 6:57
doi:10.1186/1746-1596-6-57

Published: 24 June 2011

Abstract

Background

Breast cancers which demonstrate EGFR protein expression, gene amplification and/or
gene mutations may benefit therapeutically from tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In Western
studies, EGFR protein expression has been demonstrated in 7-36% of breast cancer patients,
while gene amplification has been found in around 6% of cases and mutations were either
absent or extremely rare. Studies addressing EGFR protein expression and gene amplification
in Saudi breast cancer patients are extremely scanty and the results reported have
been mostly non-conclusive. Herein we report the prevalence of EGFR protein expression
and gene amplification in a cohort of Saudi breast cancer patients.

Findings

We noticed a remarkably low incidence of EGFR protein expression (1.3%) while analyzing
the spectrum of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in a Saudi population by immunohistochemistry.
Also, EGFR gene amplification could not be demonstrated in any of 231 cases studied using silver
enhanced in situ hybridization.

Conclusions

The extremely low incidence of EGFR protein expression and gene amplification in Saudi
breast cancer patients as compared to Western populations is most probably ethnically
related as supported by our previous finding in the same cohort of a spectrum of molecular
breast cancer types that is unique to the Saudi population and in stark contrast with
Western and other regionally based studies. Further support to this view is provided
by earlier studies from Saudi Arabia that have similarly shown variability in molecular
breast cancer subtype distribution between Saudi and Caucasian populations as well
as a predominance of the high-grade pathway in breast cancer development in Middle
East women. More studies on EGFR in breast cancer are needed from different regions
of Saudi Arabia before our assumption can be confirmed, however.